British Army Officers' Widows' Pension Forms 1755-1908

Each result will provide you with a transcript and an image of the original records. Transcripts may include all or some of the following information:

• First name(s)
• Last name
• Birth year
• Age at entrance
• Regiment
• Death year
• Death date
• Death place
• Marriage year
• Marriage date
• Marriage place
• Spouse’s first name(s)
• Spouse’s last name
• Archive
• Archive reference
• Piece description
• Piece date range

This collection comprises The National Archives series WO 42: War Office: Officers’ Birth Certificates, Wills and Personal Papers. The records cover the year range from 1755 to 1908. The series pertains to applications for a pension or a child’s compassionate allowance where an officer died on service or on half pay.

WO 42 comprises both papers now in WO 43 and eight bundles of similar certificates from other series held by TNA. In total, the series includes 75 bundles and papers. Secretary-at-War (1660-1855), War Department (1855-1857), and War Office (1857-1964) are listed as the creators of this collection.

The collection includes forms and evidences of vital events extracted from widows’ pension files, such as application forms completed by widows, which would provide marriage and death details of the officers in question, as well as death and marriage certificates and birth and baptism records of any children of the union.

• Begin your search broadly with just an officer’s name and event year.

• If needed, you can narrow your results by adding additional search criteria such as a spouse’s (widow’s) name, officer’s regiment, or keyword.

• There may be several images associated with your ancestor’s transcript. Click on the image button and use the previous and next arrows on the side of the image viewer to advance through the images.